Features

Asurgeon is known for their steady hands, attention to detail, and extreme precision. In the operating room that is East Coast Espresso in Brunswick, Victoria, Technical Director Jordan Elkurdi shares similar traits. His utensils are evenly aligned, his materials are cut to perfection, and he works methodically to build his newest creation, Mercury Nero Steam Hub.

The dedicated manual milk-texturing machine has been Jordan’s core focus for the past two years. Besides operating East Coast Espresso, a coffee machine and grinder service company with his brother-in-law Sam Sadik in Victoria, Jordan’s mind constantly ticks over with new ideas and ways to bring them to life.Read more

If we time travel to the year 2020, what would the modern age café look like? Would there be robotic baristas, self-serving espresso machines, and Willy Wonka inspired installations? Many would argue this outlook is already underway. But what about an eco-friendly café?

According to Brendan Condon, Director of Cirrus Coffee and Australian Ecosystem, it’s likely that cafés will be operating with 100 per cent renewable energy generated at source or purchased over the grid. Chefs would be cooking on induction cooktops rather than gas, and coffee grounds and food waste will be cycled into cafés’ own pop-up farms. Single-use coffee cups will also be eliminated or at the very least, made of only 100 per cent compostable and sustainable materials.Read more

Spending the morning with Salvatore Malatesta looks like a scene out of The West Wing. Inside the engine room, meetings are held back to back and some intertwine with each other, from a menu consultation to a discussion on solar energy. Salvatore brings out hard-hitting questions, evidence of his law background and efficiency to just “get to the point”. Occasionally, he pauses to reply to a text message or buzz his PA for a contact. No two days are the same for the owner of one of the county’s most iconic coffee roasters. Salvatore’s role is not about bean selection or the inner workings of roast profiles. His job is to take his business from a roasting brand to a creative agency. Read more

It’s competition season once again.For the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) Board, this is one of our favourite times of the year. We love feeling the excitement of our members and experiencing the passion of the competitors.

The 2019 ASCA regional championships kicked off on 15 September with the Northern Region, followed by the Southern Region from 13 to 14 October, Central Region from 27 to 28 October, and Western Region from 3 to 4 November.

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to head to your nearest championship to see what our incredible barista community is capable of. It’s impressive to see a new generation of talent coming through the ranks, and repeat offenders who believe that persistence pays off, and indeed it does. Read more

Anna Polyviou is a chef with artistic flair, edgy look, and carefree attitude. With her trademark pink mohawk hair and zest for life, it’s little wonder that the ‘Punk Princess of Pastry’ captivates audiences on TV screens and on paper.

Anna’s the first to admit she likes pushing the limits, both in her food creations and daily routine. Recently, she decided to go on a month-long national tour to launch her new Sweet Street cook book, travelling from Perth to Melbourne, Sydney to Canberra, and Darwin to Brisbane, cooking with young kids and signing books for anyone who asked.

“I can’t wait for people to go buy the book from the shops but I also wanted to take the opportunity to personalise the experience for my supporters,” Anna says. “I wanted the chance to meet people, talk about the book, why it’s designed, and what it involves, because it’s not just an average book. It’s been four to five years in the making.” Read more

When business partners Theodor von Gimborn, Alex van Gülpen and Johann Heinrich Lensing started out in 1868, they envisioned making commercial coffee roasters that would stand the test of time, consistently turning out high-quality coffee for customers of all sizes. Today, longevity and quality are characteristic not only of Probat machines, but also of the company’s relationships – both within the family business and its employee network, and externally among its partners and customers.

During the past 150 years, the company based in Emmerich, Germany, has built an expansive product portfolio with 115 patents and loyal customer and employee bases spanning the globe.

“We’ve been making coffee roasters ever since and continue to provide the coffee industry with enduring solutions that are in step with the times, but that also continue to function beyond that time,” Probat CEO Wim Abbing says. “Our machines are built to last, but they are built first and foremost to produce perfect coffee.” Read more

It’s incredible to think that shortly, ASCA regional championships will be starting again. We know many of you are looking forward to competing, and vying for the ASCA top 12 national rankings in the Australian Barista, Brewers, Cup Tasting, Latte Art, and Roasting Championships. The announcement of this year’s top 12 built anticipation and healthy rivalry ahead of the nationals, and we’re keen to see who will shake things up again. Read more

What a month of nail-biting performances and results at the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Amsterdam in June.

John Gordon represented New Zealand on the world stage after stepping up three times as the United Kingdom national competitor. After the preliminary round on day one, John was placed first. He marched into the finals to finish a credible sixth in the world. The last time NZ was in the finals was 2013, which was also the last time that John had competed at the WBC.

For his routine, John pared back the technicalities to emphasise the importance of what’s in the cup. His performance opened with a description of his coffee career from barista to roaster to technician, which has always been underpinned by his obsession with technology. Read more

Olivier Monin was born with a family name that is synonymous with gourmet flavourings, yet he has no recollection of the man who started the family business, his grandfather Georges Monin.

Georges died during World War II, 15 years before Olivier was born in France.

Georges, a 19-year-old entrepreneur, started selling branded wines and spirits with a horse and cart and the slogan “A passion for quality”. He founded the company in 1912 in Bourges, central France, and by 1930 Monin was exporting private label spirit products to Europe and the Caribbean. In 1945, Paul Monin took the reins of the company and steered the product development towards syrups – a relatively untouched market in France – when it became clear the spirits industry was saturated with competition.Read more

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BeanScene Magazine is committed to promoting, enhancing and growing the coffee industry in Australia as it’s coffee news has captured the attention of coffee roasters, bean and machine importers, café owners, café chain owners and executives, and many of the auxiliary products and services that support the coffee industry in Australia and around the globe. Through our partnerships with key coffee houses, cafés and coffee chains, BeanScene is read by thousands as they enjoy their daily cup at their favourite watering hole.